Obama seeks bills to curb outsourcing, grant citizenship to productive immigrants
In his third State of the Union Address, United States President Barack Obama urged the US Congress on Wednesday (Manila time) to send to him for his signature a bill that will use a combination of tax incentives and disincentives designed to make American and multinational firms in the US create jobs in that country instead of overseas.
Obama also asked the US Congress to pass immigration legislation that would allow young people in America of foreign descent to acquire US citizenship.
“The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away,” the US president said.
He noted that there are hundreds of thousands of students in the US who are not yet American citizens and may be deported.
“Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else. That doesn’t make sense.
Obama said he is against any tax deductions for American firms that outsource jobs or skip on paying taxes by “moving jobs and profits overseas.”
“So my message is simple. It is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away,” the US leader said.
Pending bill
One bill filed which pertains specifically to the BPO industry is the proposed US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act authored by New York 1st District Rep. Tim Bishop.
Bishop’s bill seeks “to bar corporations that sent US call center jobs overseas from receiving federal grants and loans,” the solon said in a statement.
The bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Dave McKinley, Mike Michaud, and Gene Green, also “requires overseas call center employees to disclose their location to US consumers and gives customers the right to be transferred to a US-based call center upon request.”
“It’s common sense that we should not be rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas while millions of qualified Americans are looking for work,” Bishop said. “Taxpayer dollars should only be used to incentivize good corporate citizens who create American jobs.”
In an interview with reporters, Bishop called outsourcing “one of the scourges of our economy,” according to “The Huffington Post.” "We can’t prohibit it, but we can certainly discourage it,” Bishop reportedly said.
In a recent report, the New York Times said the Philippines has surpassed India and has become the new call center capital of the world with about 400,000 Filipino employed in call centers. — with Paterno Esmaquel II/ ELR, GMA News
Obama also asked the US Congress to pass immigration legislation that would allow young people in America of foreign descent to acquire US citizenship.
“The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away,” the US president said.
He noted that there are hundreds of thousands of students in the US who are not yet American citizens and may be deported.
“Many were brought here as small children, are American through and through, yet they live every day with the threat of deportation. Others came more recently, to study business and science and engineering, but as soon as they get their degree, we send them home to invent new products and create new jobs somewhere else. That doesn’t make sense.
Obama said he is against any tax deductions for American firms that outsource jobs or skip on paying taxes by “moving jobs and profits overseas.”
“So my message is simple. It is time to stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas, and start rewarding companies that create jobs right here in America. Send me these tax reforms, and I will sign them right away,” the US leader said.
Pending bill
One bill filed which pertains specifically to the BPO industry is the proposed US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act authored by New York 1st District Rep. Tim Bishop.
Bishop’s bill seeks “to bar corporations that sent US call center jobs overseas from receiving federal grants and loans,” the solon said in a statement.
The bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Dave McKinley, Mike Michaud, and Gene Green, also “requires overseas call center employees to disclose their location to US consumers and gives customers the right to be transferred to a US-based call center upon request.”
“It’s common sense that we should not be rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas while millions of qualified Americans are looking for work,” Bishop said. “Taxpayer dollars should only be used to incentivize good corporate citizens who create American jobs.”
In an interview with reporters, Bishop called outsourcing “one of the scourges of our economy,” according to “The Huffington Post.” "We can’t prohibit it, but we can certainly discourage it,” Bishop reportedly said.
In a recent report, the New York Times said the Philippines has surpassed India and has become the new call center capital of the world with about 400,000 Filipino employed in call centers. — with Paterno Esmaquel II/ ELR, GMA News
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